LOS ANGELES — FOX Sports Films and NASCAR Studios announce the premieres of two compelling new original documentaries marking the start of the 2025 NASCAR season.
“The Madhouse: NASCAR’s Return to Bowman Gray Stadium,”narrated by FOX Sports’ Emmy Award-winning storyteller Tom Rinaldi,debuts Monday, Jan. 27 (7 p.m. ET, FS1). The film explores the rich and rollicking history of the venue while weaving a narrative that focuses on preparations for The Clash at Bowman Gray. Featuring exclusive interviews with NASCAR’s Jim France and Ben Kennedy, plus other notable racing figures such as Leonard Wood and Chocolate Myers, along with Bowman Gray stalwarts Burt Myers, Jason Myers and Tim Brown, the documentary tells a story that intersects two unique worlds: the biggest motorsports series in North America, and the grassroots charm of small-town America at Bowman Gray Stadium.
“So Damn Close: Atlanta ’24” premieres Thursday, Feb.13 (10 p.m. ET, FS1), immediately following the Duel at Daytona. Focusing on the closest three-way finish in NASCAR history between Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in last year’s Ambetter Health 400, the documentary will feature all three drivers getting together to revisit the dramatic race, plus separate shoots with their crew chiefs and spotters. The film provides candid exchanges and a forensic breakdown of the most pivotal moments of the race, revealing the untold stories on and off the track leading up to the split-second decisions that shaped the historic outcome.
“FOX Sports is excited to partner with NASCAR Studios to bring fans closer to the fast-paced racing action than ever before,” said Barry Nugent, vice president of development and original programming at FOX Sports. “From the historic return to Bowman Gray to the unforgettable moments of last year’s race in Atlanta, these films not only showcase the electrifying action behind the world of motorsports but provide unprecedented access into the stories that bring this sport to life.”
“We’re thrilled to team up with FOX Sports to explore the rich stories of these two events,” said John Dahl, NASCAR senior vice president of content. “It’s the first time the NASCAR Cup Series has been at Bowman Gray in over half a century, and last year’s race in Atlanta was historic in its own right. Our team at NASCAR Studios has enjoyed diving into these projects to help give them the attention they deserve.”
FOX NASCAR’s 25th season kicks off with The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2, on FOX, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Not even one day into the Roar Before the 24 testing sessions last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, young NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch realized what he was dealing with in teaming with a pair of New Zealand champion drivers and a veteran sports car ace.
While Zilisch was turning his first laps, his teammates — NASCAR star Shane van Gisbergen, IndyCar standout Scott McLaughlin and American sports car ace Ben Keating — were having some fun with the 18-year old Zilisch’s cell phone, left innocently inside the scoring stand while he was in the car on track.
The result was a series of funny, candid selfies published on Zilisch’s own social media accounts.
It’s easy to have fun, when you know you are fast. And they are.
“They definitely mess with me, but I enjoy it and we have fun with each other,” Zilisch said, breaking into a grin. “It’s been so cool to get to know Shane and Scott and Ben — he’s got a lot of expertise and experience and a good sense of humor, too.
“It’s a great group of guys and we’re already having a lot of fun together and hopefully that translates to on-track success.”
That’s certainly the plan. This Daytona dream team is made up of former Australian Supercars champions McLaughlin and 2025 NASCAR Cup Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen — who stunned the stock-car world winning in his first NASCAR start in 2023 at the Chicago Street Race. Joining them are the 53-year-old Keating and NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie-to-be Zilisch, who both have already won Rolex watches in this prestigious IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship series opener.
They will all share the GTD Pro class No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R — a car fielded in part by NASCAR Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks, himself a former Rolex 24 competitor. Zilisch announced Thursday that he will make his Cup debut driving for Trackhouse in March at Circuit of The Americas.
As they have all discovered, fun is an essential part of the chemistry that makes this foursome a favorite to earn new Rolex watches by Sunday afternoon’s checkered flag.
This will be the 35-year-old van Gisbergen’s sixth entry in the Rolex 24 and he’s been on the podium before with a runner-up finish in the GTD class in 2015. The last time he competed was in 2020, teaming with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on the AIM Vasser Sullivan team.
“This is my favorite endurance race of all the ones I’ve done. Spa, LeMans, Bathurst, this is the best by far,” said van Gisbergen, who will make his full-time driving debut in the Cup Series in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet this season.
“This is just enjoyable. It’s so much fun. Like [endurance races] Spa [Belgium] and Le Mans [France] you’re just flat-out the whole time and the safety car comes and everyone stays spread out. Whereas, here, you get your laps back and everyone’s always battling.
“It really feels like a 24-hour race and you’re always battling someone. I feel the atmosphere here is always good. All the other stuff [other endurance races] I’ve done is far too serious. Here it’s always just fun to be at. First race of the year and everyone’s fresh.”
Interestingly, despite their shared background and crossed paths during the years, this will be the first time van Gisbergen and McLaughlin — a seven-time IndyCar Series winning driver for Roger Penske — have shared the same car in a race.
And they have fully embraced the driving partnerships with the young Zilisch and the veteran Keating. Zilisch signed a Trackhouse Racing contract last January to compete in the Rolex and will drive JR Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet as a rookie in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Zilisch brings an incredible resume with him, and in some ways shares a storybook stock car beginning with van Gisbergen. As the New Zealander did in the Chicago Cup Series race a year earlier, Zilisch won his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start — claiming the trophy last summer at Watkins Glen International from pole position — then adding a pair of fourth-place finishes at Kansas and Phoenix in three more starts last year.
Zilisch won pole position in his first NASCAR national series start — a Craftsman Truck Series race last spring at the Circuit of The Americas, where he finished fourth. He then won pole position again in the series at one of the most famous stock car tracks in the world, the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway — all before he turned 18.
And that stock car success came after Zilisch won the LMP2 class of the Rolex 24 last January at Daytona and answered immediately with the LMP2 class win in the 12 Hours of Sebring six weeks later.
“I’ve been with Connor pretty much every day the last couple weeks doing photo shoots,’’ van Gisbergen said, offering high praise for the young driver.
“He’s an awesome young kid and the experience he’s had already and what he’s done is amazing. He’s committing now to NASCAR away from this [sports car] world and it will be really fun to see how he goes. He’s got a massive future ahead.
“He’s just an awesome young kid and so fast, but a lot to learn still at that age,’’ van Gisbergen continued. “He’s asking Scott and I and Ben a lot of questions, and we’re having a lot of fun, bouncing ideas off each other about the car.’’
James Gilbert | Getty Images
That support means so much more coming from someone Zilisch admires.
“It’s really cool,’’ he allowed, flashing a smile. “The last 12 months for me have been really crazy and definitely changed the trajectory of my career path, so it’s cool to team up with them here, guys who have so much experience not only in sports car racing but motorsports as a whole, whether it’s V8 Supercars, IndyCars, and Ben, with everything he’s done in sports cars.
“I have a lot to learn from these guys. Definitely going to try to soak it in as much as I can. Be a sponge. Just try to have fun.
“Obviously these big moments can be stressful, but at the end of the day, what we’re doing and what Justin has put together, I just want to make sure I enjoy it as well.’’
Both McLaughlin and the sports car champ Keating say they have also enjoyed working as a team with the two NASCAR competitors.
“Really exciting for me,’’ said Keating, 53, noting that his children are all older than Zilisch. “I’ve never been in the same car with any of those guys. I’ve raced against them all and have a ton of respect. I really like them all. Same with Justin [Marks].”
His experience — including a 2015 Rolex 24 class win — has included a driver’s seat view of watching his co-drivers compete in the past, however. And that’s provided both perspective and praise. He recalled watching van Gisbergen driving in the pouring rain in the 2017 Rolex 24.
“I was driving around the track in amazement of Shane when he was driving the car because of all the classes and all the cars, he was the fastest car on track — he was faster than all the prototypes. SVG is special,’’ Keating said, emphasizing that van Gisbergen’s and McLaughlin’s trio of Australian Supercar championships automatically elevates their stature in his mind.
“And I have grown to have a lot of respect for Connor in the LMP2 class last year,’’ Keating continued. “He won this race at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in class and was a rock star in the car. … I’m not surprised at all he wins in Trans Am, IMSA or NASCAR. The kid is just really, really talented.’’
That seems to be the prevailing theme for this foursome. They were among the top-five GTD Pro class cars in four of the six practices at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course during the three-day Roar Before the 24 test — and that included a best showing of second fastest in the Saturday morning session — with Zilisch posting that fastest lap.
“It’s really cool having so much diversity between the four of us and I definitely see it in the way we talk about the car, we all have our own ways to explain things, but we’ve all come to an agreement at the end of every session with how we feel and that’s really positive in that sense,’’ Zilisch said.
“It’s tough in endurance racing that everyone has the same sense of the car, but I feel like we’re really aligned with how we feel. I’m excited to hopefully continue to make the car better.”
It’s a sentiment shared by this talented lineup that has already proven they are up for the task. And having a great time doing it.
“The biggest thing for me is we’re racing for fun and when you’re having fun you’re going to do well, as well,’’ van Gisbergen said. “We’re all happy with the car and the balance of the car, who knows what could happen.”
Connor Zilisch will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut driving the No. 87 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing at Circuit of The Americas, the team announced Thursday.
Zilisch, a highly touted prospect and the team’s development driver, will have primary sponsorship from Red Bull, which joins Trackhouse as a primary sponsor in 2025 after a long absence from the sport. Red Bull will also sponsor Shane van Gisbergen in five NASCAR Cup Series races, rejoining the series after sponsoring Red Bull Racing from 2007-11.
The 18-year-old Zilisch made his NASCAR national series debut at COTA in March 2024 in the Craftsman Truck Series with Spire Motorsports, storming to the pole position and ultimately finishing fourth. Zilisch later won his Xfinity Series debut with JR Motorsports in September at Watkins Glen International, solidifying his reputation early. At age 18, he is set to become the youngest driver to make a Cup start since Joey Logano’s debut in 2008.
“I was surprised when they presented me my Red Bull helmet and hat last summer and doubly surprised when they told me I would make my Cup debut in the No. 87 with a Red Bull paint scheme,” Zilisch said in a release.
Zilisch will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet for the full 2025 Xfinity season with JRM, his first season-long campaign in one of NASCAR’s national series. In four starts in 2024, Zilisch earned three top-five finishes, placing fourth at both Kansas Speedway and Phoenix Raceway in addition to his Watkins Glen win. He additionally finished 12th at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Van Gisbergen is making the leap from Xfinity to Cup in 2025 for his own rookie campaign, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse. SVG, who won his Cup debut at the Chicago Street Race in 2023, is no stranger to the Red Bull family.
“I have enjoyed a lot of new experiences and met a lot of new people since coming to NASCAR, but it is nice to be joined by Red Bull, who has been a big supporter of mine for many years back home,” van Gisbergen said in a release. “I’d love nothing more than to give Red Bull a victory as a way to thank them for joining myself, Connor and Trackhouse Racing.”
Red Bull will be featured on SVG’s car at the March 16 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, July 13 at Sonoma Raceway, Aug. 3 at Iowa Speedway, Aug. 23 at Daytona International Speedway and Sept. 28 at Kansas.
“It’s an incredible chapter in the history of Trackhouse Racing to welcome Red Bull back to NASCAR,” Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks said in a release. “Red Bull is one of the most powerful brands in the world, and it’s an honor for us to embark on a partnership with such an iconic company.”
Spire Motorsports announced on Thursday that 2024 ARCA Menards Series champion Andrés Pérez de Lara will drive full-time for Spire Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series during the 2025 season.
The Mexico City native will pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet in pursuit of 2025 Rookie of the Year honors. Previously, Pérez de Lara made two starts at the Truck Series level for Spire Motorsports in 2024, garnering one top-10 finish at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
“As Spire Motorsports continues to look toward the future, it’s important that we identify who we expect to be long–term contributors to the growth of not only our organization but to the sport as a whole,” Spire Motorsports co–owner Jeff Dickerson said in a press release. “Andrés Pérez de Larahas a very bright future. He has a huge upside and isalready integrated into our processes and methods of preparation. We’re thrilled to officially add him to the Spire family.”
The team also announced that veteran crew chief Chad Walter will move over from the No. 71 truck and lead the No. 77 team’s efforts in the new year. Walter has over two decades of experience, spending the last two seasons with Rajah Caruth and leading Caruth to his first Craftsman Truck Series win and the 2024 playoffs.
“After two successful seasons with Rajah Caruth, I’m excited to work with Andrés Pérez de Lara,” Walter said in a press release.“I’ve always enjoyed the opportunityto help mold drivers into the future stars of NASCAR.Andréshas proven that he can be that next ‘one.’We’ve taken the time to assemble a great race team to surround him.Our goal is always to be competitive, maximize our weekends, and race the right way with our competitors.I’m grateful to our leadership team for having the confidence in me to lead Andrés and the No. 77 team in 2025.”
The 19–year–old drove theNo. 2Chevrolet for Rev Racing to his first ARCA championship in 2024, racking up 10 top–five and 17 top–10 finishes.He is the first Mexican–born driver to win the ARCA national title in its 72–year history.
“It’s such a great opportunity for me and one that I have been working extra hard to get,” Pérez de Lara said in a press release. “It’s awesome to workwith a team like Spire, and what that means for me as a driver having so many experienced and very accomplished people working with me to make the most of this opportunity.I think I’m looking forward to the competition more than anything, and I’m ready to step up my game and ready to work on getting the most out of every race.Daytona can’t come soon enough. All the new tracks I’ll be racing will be another big challenge.I am really looking forward toit.”
Partners for the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet include Telcel, Infintium and Claro, which will all be featured throughout the 2025 season. Primary sponsorship for Pérez de Lara’s rookie campaign will be announced at a later date.
Team outlook: FRM took a huge step forward with its speed, almost routinely putting its cars either on pole or on the front row, literally, at superspeedways. Todd Gilliland and Michael McDowell both led more laps than ever in a career season. However, there is still more to be discovered regarding the team’s long-run pace, as both drivers ended 2024 with an average finish south of 20th.
As for its driver lineup, Front Row now looks to Gilliland to be its team leader this season and build off a promising 2024 season with McDowell departing for Spire Motorsports. The team also expanded to three charters, bringing in Noah Gragson and welcoming back Zane Smith, who made his name in FRM’s Truck program.
NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 4 FORD
Experience: Two full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 24th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 1 top five, 7 top 10s 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 150-1
Outlook: Gragson transitions from the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing as another young driver for the team build around going forward. Gragson saw a noticeable uptick in performance in his second full-time season, most notably the seven top-10 finishes he had over the regular season. The best thing for the Las Vegas native is finding a home where he can grow, Front Row will mark his third team in as many years, he is under a multi-year contract, though, so time will tell if there’s more untapped potential in him to develop into a solid driver at the Cup level.
Experience: Three full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 22nd in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 0 top fives, 4 top 10s 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 250-1
Outlook: Gilliland, 24, takes over the No. 34 Ford in place of McDowell, who brought weekly consistency to help build up FRM’s Cup program. On paper, his 4 top 10s match his 2023 campaign. However, his 130 laps led, 24 lead-lap finishes and leap from 28th to 22nd in driver standings over a year all set new career benchmarks and are key indicators that FRM is slowly building consistency. Gilliland also had a nine-race stretch from Kansas to Chicago of top-20 finishes, another good indicator that he’s turning a corner in the positive direction. This season should see another jump from Gilliland with more resources and attention being poured into his development.
Experience: One full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 30th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 2 top fives, 4 top 10s 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 170-1
Outlook: It is a bit of a homecoming for Smith, who returns to FRM after his rookie campaign at Spire Motorsports as a Trackhouse Racing driver. The pedigree is there, as a six-time race winner and Truck Series Champion with the organization he can be competitive in Front Row’s equipment. The question is: Can he be competitive with Front Row at the Cup level? For starters, it should benefit him that he has great familiarity with the team. Secondly, during the later half of Smith’s rookie year, he started to truly catch on. From his runner-up finish at Nashville to the end of the year at Phoenix, he only recorded three finishes of 25th or worse, compared to the seven he had in the first 18 races. The move back to a growing organization could be exactly what Smith needs to continue his ascent as a professional.
BOLD PREDICTION: Both teams were right outside of finishing in the top 20 in last year’s final standings. In 2025, Front Row will cleanly have two top 20 teams, with a third just peeking out. There’s a lot to work with for this newly expanded organization, which has young talents and speed. With two superspeedway races to open the season, there may be a chance to see early investment returns.
A mega event showcasing the best of short-track racing on the West Coast will be in the national spotlight this Saturday, Jan. 25. The SoundGear 400, featuring the season openers for the ARCA Menards Series West and CARS Tour West at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, will be streamed live on FloRacing.
2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick will be in action, as will 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric.
Harvick will compete in the SPEARS CARS Tour West Super Late Model division. This marks Harvick’s first time competing at the rebranded track since it adopted his name in 2024.
Harvick, who is a managing partner at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway and owner of the CARS Tour West, will be piloting a No. 29 Super Late Model sponsored by HendrickCars.com.
“We’re thrilled to partner with FloRacing to showcase Saturday’s action-packed event at Kern Raceway to a worldwide audience,” said Kevin Harvick. “This event will provide fans with an opportunity to witness the best of West Coast racing in one day. I hope fans all over the country will tune in to see what West Coast racing is all about and why I’m so passionate about it.”
Four different divisions will be in action throughout the jam-packed afternoon of racing. The ARCA Menards Series West, CARS Tour West Super Late Models, CARS Tour West Limited Pro Late Models and the Legends Tour West will all be part of this massive day of racing at the high-banked half-mile oval in Bakersfield, California.
Hemric will be piloting an ARCA Menards Series car prepared by Bill McAnally Racing, the same team that Hemric will race for in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2025. Other drivers expected to be in competition include Tanner Reif, Trevor Huddleston and Spencer Davis.
All of the action kicks off Saturday, January 25 at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET live on FloRacing. Fans can subscribe to FloRacing by clicking here.
CONCORD, N.C. — Arriving at the NASCAR Production Facility on Saturday for CARS Tour Media Day was surreal for the Harvick family in many regards.
Kevin Harvick fulfilled multiple roles across a busy afternoon as a series owner, driver and father. He took part in the familiar photo, video and social content associated with Media Day, all while he and his wife DeLana kept a caring, watchful eye on their 12-year-old son Keelan.
Media responsibilities are going to become more frequent for Keelan, who is set to embark on a busy first year piloting Pro Late Models. The third-generation driver will share the seat with his dad in cars prepared through an alliance between Kevin Harvick Inc. and Rackley W.A.R.
With so much going on in advance of the upcoming season, Keelan is doing everything he can to trust the copious resources around him. This includes adhering to his dad’s advice on what qualities are needed to transition into stock cars.
“[My dad] is really big on being smooth and trying to be consistent,” Keelan said. “That’s really helped me through my career. I would love to win a lot, but this is brand new competition, and it’s going to be really hard to adapt.
“If I can consistently get top-five or top-10 finishes, that would be a really good takeaway for me.”
Keelan Harvick enters his first season in full-bodied stock cars with plenty of accomplishments already to his name. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)
Kevin’s constant influence has been a crucial component in Keelan’s development separating himself from other drivers in his age group.
Before he became a familiar name in Legends competition, Keelan was busy developing his craft in go-karting events not only in the United States, but in Europe. The accolades quickly accumulated for Keelan; he had multiple victories and championships to his name by the end of 2022.
Having honed his skills in Europe’s rigid racing culture, Keelan’s competitive nature translated into success on the Legends platform. After putting together several strong races in 2023, he emerged as a perennial contender in the Young Lions division this past year against many other future NASCAR stars.
As a whole in 2024, Keelan accumulated 27 victories across 49 starts to go along with top-three finishes in the Cook Out Summer Shootout, INEX Nashville Spring Series and INEX Winter Nationals standings. That efficiency enabled him to secure the 2024 INEX Young Lions Asphalt National Championship.
Keelan Harvick’s first full-bodied stock car race was an eighth place finish in a Limited Late Model at Florence Motor Speedway in November. (Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)
There are times when Kevin finds himself in disbelief over Keelan’s standing at this point in his career. Seeing Keelan stand in his car as a baby prior to Daytona 500 does not seem that long ago for Kevin, and now his son is only a few years away from being a full-time NASCAR driver.
To prepare Keelan for a stock car, Kevin entered him in his first Limited Late Model event at South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway in November. Keelan drove a clean, methodical race against many established veterans and finished a quiet-but-solid eighth.
Kevin was impressed with how Keelan conducted himself at Florence, a facility known for its abrasive nature on tires and equipment. In hindsight, Kevin wishes he had encouraged Keelan to be less conservative behind the wheel.
“The biggest problem he had was us,” Kevin said. “We should have just let him go out there and not tell him what to do. I don’t think we all expected him to do as well as he did. He was very aware of his surroundings, communication and the things he did with the car.
“I couldn’t have been more pleased with the first outing.”
Knowing Florence would be his first real test before an expanded stock-car schedule, Keelan approached the event intending to ascertain as much as possible. While he hoped for a slightly better finish, Keelan believes he has a blueprint on how to put together more similar showings in 2025.
“There was definitely a lot of stuff I could take away [from Florence],” Keelan said. “I learned that I need to be better at tire-saving and more aggressive later as the race goes. This would not be possible without all the KHI guys, and I have to thank them again.”
During Keelan Harvick’s development, his father Kevin has provided him advice on what he needs to excel behind the wheel. (Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)
Now that he has an idea of what to expect in a stock car, Keelan is eager to see what he can do at different tracks across the country. His slate of events includes a return to Florence in a Limited Late Model for the track’s Icebreaker in February, along with a plethora of Pro Late Model races on both the East and West Coast.
Participating in a national series like the CARS Tour required Keelan to handle media obligations before his first stock-car race of 2025. The afternoon gave Keelan time to familiarize himself with the production side of the sport and interact with other drivers, some of whom will be his direct competition.
For the most part, Keelan enjoyed his time at the NASCAR Production Facility, though there was one aspect of the festivities he singled out as his least favorite.
“Me and my dad did a game where you roll the Oreo down a table, and you could get mayonnaise, lemon, lime, milk, blue cheese or hot sauce,” Keelan said. “I got blue cheese. It was not good.”
Aside from tasting unorthodox Oreo flavors, Kevin believed everything went perfectly for Keelan during his first CARS Tour Media Day. The importance of having Keelan build a healthy, courteous relationship with media has been a point of emphasis for Kevin and DeLana, the latter of whom has a background in public relations.
“We’ve had a lot of photoshoots that [Keelan] has been a part of,” Kevin said. “You want [him] to be in a position where he understands this is part of the process and part of what being a professional race car driver is. This didn’t come naturally for me, but you need to learn and understand it.
“In order to be a pro and be good at [what you do], you need to have a good reputation and understand what this is for.”
Kevin is confident Keelan has everything needed both on and off the track to keep thriving as he takes the next step in his development, especially now that Rackley W.A.R. is aligned with KHI in Supers and Pro Late Models.
Despite this, Kevin knows there is only so much he can do as a mentor and father. While sharing a car with Keelan has plenty of benefits when it comes to setups and terminology, Kevin understands the best way for his son to learn is to experience the positives and negatives of the sport first-hand.
Kevin sees the Pro Late Model discipline as the perfect avenue for Keelan to further acclimate himself to stock cars. The competitive nature of Pro Late Models will make it difficult for Keelan to win in his first year, but Kevin looks forward to seeing his son gradually make progress with every passing week.
“I haven’t even thought about [Keelan winning races],” Kevin said. “We’re expecting some pretty steep learning curves, so we’ll see if we get to that point [this year]. Anytime you get to see your kids accomplish something is pretty gratifying as a parent. As we’ve gone through the ranks, it’s been pretty fun to watch him pick up things in chunks.
“[That first win] will be a lot of fun. I hope I’m there when it happens.”
For Keelan, the races he is particularly looking forward to are the ones where he will be in the same field as his dad. Although those occasions are likely not going to be frequent, Keelan knows he can benefit by following his dad on track and how he navigates through traffic, though Keelan also wants to have bragging rights over his father.
There will be challenges for him to endure this year, but Keelan looks forward to the day where his patience and determination pays off with that first stock-car victory.
“I’m going to be very excited [if I win],” Keelan said. “I’m probably going to hit the griddy. [If I beat my dad], the celebration is going to be a lot bigger than hitting the griddy.”
CARS Tour Media Day was the first chapter in what is expected to be a long season for Keelan, where he looks to further showcase how he is becoming a successful driver just like his father was for more than two decades.
It’s known as “The World Center of Racing” year-round, but it’s the last two weeks of January when Daytona International Speedway annually embodies its moniker of cosmopolitan might.
In the dead of winter, the track’s garage comes alive and crackles with the alluring electricity of delightful accents and exotic machinery. Renowned drivers representing nearly every continent take turns wedging themselves into highly sophisticated cars that they share by trading stints during the 24-hour race. More than a dozen high-profile automakers jam the track’s famous 31-degree banking with luxurious marques known around the globe.
The prestige of the Rolex 24 at Daytona is rooted in its 63-year history as a mecca of motorsports, and that reputation will be reaffirmed on the 12-turn, 3.56-mile road course in 2025. The 61-car field will include winners at the world’s most iconic tracks — Daytona, Indianapolis, Le Mans, Spa and Bathurst, to name only a few.
The “International Race of Champions” brand was claimed long ago, but its spirit applies to the sports car extravaganza in Central Florida as much as any racing event in the world.
Stars from NASCAR, Formula One, IndyCar, Formula E and the World Endurance Championship will race around the clock for an event akin to the Olympics in both its breathtaking scope and competitive vigor.
“The great thing about the Rolex 24 is such great drivers want to win this race,” said Ricky Taylor, an overall Rolex 24 winner in 2017 and ’21 whose team has won the event with Jeff Gordon, Fernando Alonso and Scott Dixon — three superstars who have combined to win the Memorial Day weekend triple crown of the Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600. “It’s an honor to drive with many of them. It’s a privilege that we get to learn from each other and see what makes those great drivers great. For a driver, that’s super, super cool.”
Other reasons why the Rolex 24 has become such a fixture as a worldwide lid-lifter for the motorsports season:
— It’s so coveted … and also so hard to win. The winner’s roster on the Daytona road course naturally includes some of the biggest names in American motorsports: Gordon, Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt among them.
But many NASCAR champions have tried and come up short of sporting the unique trophy awarded to every class winner (a steel and yellow gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona with a white dial). With at least three drivers sharing the wheel on every entry, victory is elusive amid the never-ending potential for pilot error in heavy traffic (particularly as reflexes fade during the early morning hours) or parts failures in nearly 3,000 miles of racing.
With three runner-up finishes in nine starts, Jimmie Johnson has been agonizingly close to winning the prized watch, and the seven-time NASCAR Cup champ went so far as to assemble a Rolex 24 team in 2021-22 in hopes of checking it off his bucket list.
Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch also have chased a Rolex 24 win, as has Dale Earnhardt Jr., who made a celebrated 2001 debut in a No. 3 Corvette with his late father.
— The history transcends sports cars: When NASCAR founder Bill France created the Daytona Continental in 1962, the concept of the Rolex 24 forerunner was to showcase world-class drivers from various disciplines on his new speedway. More than six decades later, the Rolex 24 continues to fulfill France’s vision of positioning Daytona as a destination event.
Among this year’s best examples will be the Trackhouse Racing Corvette that will team two Americans (Ben Keating and rising star Connor Zilisch) with two New Zealanders who also happen to be three-time Supercars champions and U.S. migrants after excelling Down Under. Shane van Gisbergen, a four-time NASCAR winner who moves into Cup full-time this year, will make his sixth Rolex 24 start, and Scott McLaughlin, a seven-time IndyCar winner with Team Penske, will make his third at Daytona but first in GT.
An entry list of more than 200 drivers will include many such combinations of drivers whose collective resumes are highlighted by wins in F1, the Indy 500 and Daytona 500 (2022 winner Austin Cindric is a late addition to the Ford lineup as an injury replacement).
— The cars are also the stars: The Rolex 24 at Daytona was a flashpoint during the “Ford vs. Ferrari” wars of the 1960s, and it’s been renewed as an epicenter for manufacturer clashes in the premier Grand Touring Prototype category.
Since the 2023 introduction of a new car with a hybrid engine, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams can compete for overall wins at both Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That bridge between the world’s two biggest endurance races has resulted in an automaker spike with BMW, Porsche and Lamborghini joining Acura and Cadillac in IMSA’s top division (and Aston Martin slated to join in the Twelve Hours of Sebring).
The GT classes, which are based on production models, feature even more brand variety. Ford re-entered the fray last year with its Mustang GT3 in a competitive GTD Pro category that already included Chevrolet (Corvette), Ferrari, Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.
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— A party that never stops: The infield attracts a different type of crowd than the Daytona 500 (there are far fewer BMWs, Porsches and Mercedes clogging the access roads in February), but the fan fervor is similar with an off-the-charts enthusiasm for car culture. When the sun sets a few hours after the green flag, the multihued Ferris wheel off Lake Lloyd becomes a beacon of illumination in a carnival atmosphere of late-night fireworks and early-morning barbecues.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 11 years at NBC Sports Digital. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series (including the Rolex 24 at Daytona five times).
Editor’s Note: Today’s 23XI Racing preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2025 Cup Series season.
23XI RACING
Manufacturer: Toyota Engine: Toyota Racing Development Driver-crew chief pairings: Bubba Wallace-Charles Denike (No. 23), Riley Herbst-Davin Restivo (No. 35) Tyler Reddick-Billy Scott (No. 45)
Team outlook: This is certainly a significant season for the team with a new driver-crew chief pairing in Bubba Wallace and Charles Denike and also an expansion to a third car bringing on a rookie, former NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Riley Herbst. Reddick’s dramatic 2024 regular season championship and push toward the Cup Series trophy bring high expectations and optimism. Wallace failed to make the playoffs, after a career-best 10th place showing in the final standings a year earlier, but excelled statistically and is hopeful a fresh start with a new crew chief will raise the game. The organization — co-owned by NBA superstar Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin — now has four seasons under its belt and is thriving enough for a significant expansion to three teams bringing in the 25-year-old Herbst.
Experience: Seven full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 18th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 6 top fives, 14 top 10s 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 65-1
Outlook: Despite career highs in top-five and top-10 finishes last season, Wallace just missed out on the playoffs. The team reacted with a change atop the pit box and will now have a rookie crew chief in Charles Denike, a longtime engineer in the Xfinity and Truck series who most recently led Christian Eckes’ title challenge for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. Wallace — a two-time winner in the Cup Series at Talladega (2021) and Kansas (2022) — is looking to celebrate a victory for the first time in three seasons. A third-place finish at the Bristol Night Race was his best showing of 2024. Four of his 14 top-10 finishes came in the 10-race post-season stretch. Now, with seven full seasons at NASCAR’s elite level, expectations have increased. Wallace has proven himself a legitimate playoff contender and this team has proven itself fully capable of putting multiple cars in the championship hunt.
RILEY HERBST, NO. 35 TOYOTA
Experience: Rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 7th in final Xfinity Series standings; 2 wins, 7 top five,15 top 10s 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): Not listed
Outlook: In eight previous Cup Series race starts — four in 2023 and four in 2024 — Herbst has a pair of top-10 finishes — an impressive 10th place in his Daytona 500 debut in 2023 and a ninth place at Talladega Superspeedway that same season. He has spent the last four years competing for Stewart-Haas Racing’s Xfinity program, earning his first career win at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2023. He won at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway and answered with a bold statement winning the season finale at Phoenix last year. All three career victories came with crew chief Davin Restivo, who is moving with Herbst to 23XI Racing to sit atop the pit box for the No. 35 crew. Herbst qualified for the Xfinity Series Playoffs in four of his five full-time seasons and is coming off his career-best championship showing (seventh) and laps led (273) mark. The success he and Restivo bring from last year will no doubt help in Herbst’s transition. It is a fairly rare instance when both driver and crew chief will be rookies together on the Cup grid, but 23XI Racing is the defending regular season championship team meaning resources will be plentiful and expectations high despite the rookie status.
TYLER REDDICK, N0. 45 TOYOTA
Experience: Five full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 4th in final Cup Series standings; 3 wins, 12 top fives, 21 top 10s, 3 pole positions 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 8.5-1
Outlook: Following up and raising the bar on a tremendous 2024 season — his single-season wins, top-five and top-10 totals all equal or set career highs at NASCAR’s top level — is a good task to have. Last year’s regular season champion comes into the year as one of the favorites to win the title. The two-time Xfinity Series champion advanced to the Championship 4 last year for the first time, ultimately finishing fourth. Despite a bountiful regular season showing, Reddick only scored three top-10 finishes in the 10-race playoff run — albeit a strong win from pole position at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His 597 total laps led on the season were the most among the Championship 4. Having continuity in crew chief Billy Scott will certainly help in his drive to raise the game in 2025 after a career year at the Cup level.
BOLD PREDICTION: This organization enters the 2025 season highly motivated and equipped with plenty of talent — in the car and in the garage — to make championship runs. Expect both Reddick and Wallace to celebrate in Victory Lane and qualify for the playoffs. Herbst should make a legitimate run at Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. The big question will be how long it takes for the new combination of Wallace and Denike to find their footing and how long it takes Herbst and Restivo to up their game now as a full-time entry in the sport’s premier league.
Editor’s Note: Today’s Trackhouse Racing preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2025 Cup Series season.
TRACKHOUSE RACING
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Engine: ECR Engines Driver-crew chief pairings: Ross Chastain-Phil Surgen (No. 1), Shane van Gisbergen-Stephen Doran (No. 88), Daniel Suárez-Matt Swiderski (No. 99)
Team outlook: This could be the most significant year yet for Trackhouse Racing since it joined the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021. The organization expands to three Cup teams after acquiring a charter from the now-defunct Stewart Haas Racing, with New Zealand native Shane van Gisbergen behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse, while returning are Cup veterans Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez.
“This is an important step for our organization and it’s a credit to the men and women at Trackhouse Racing whose hard work and success the last few years has led to us expanding to three Cup teams in 2025,” Trackhouse Racing founder and co-owner Justin Marks said.
Experience: Six full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 19th in final Cup Series standings; 1 win, 6 top fives, 14 top 10s 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 30-1
Outlook: After finishing a career-best second place in the 2022 Cup season, Chastain has faded from prominence since then, finishing ninth in 2023 and then missing the playoffs last season, finishing 19th, the second-worst ranking of his Cup career. After two wins in 2022 and 2023, Chastain managed just one in 2024. Crew chief Phil Surgen returns in 2025 for his fifth season with Chastain, who has one of the most colorful nicknames in NASCAR: “The Watermelon Man.” The biggest question this year is whether Chastain will rebound from a difficult 2024 season and have a significant resurgence this season.
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN, NO. 88 CHEVROLET
Experience: 14 NASCAR Cup Series races, including 12 last season with Kaulig Racing 2024 stats: 12th in final Xfinity Series standings; 3 wins, 7 top fives, 10 top 10s (for Kaulig) 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 65-1
Outlook: The Kiwi driver returns to Trackhouse Racing in 2025, the team that gave him his first break in Cup in 2023, with van Gisbergen paying tremendous dividends by winning in his first career Cup start that year in the inaugural Chicago Street Race. He also is the sixth foreign-born driver to win a Cup race. In his first Xfinity Series season in 2024, van Gisbergen shined with three wins, seven top fives and 10 top-10 finishes, plus three poles. Even though it’s unusual for a driver to jump to Cup after just one season in the Xfinity Series, Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks moved quickly to sign van Gisbergen to run in Cup in 2025 after securing a charter from the former Stewart Haas Racing team. Lastly, van Gisbergen will be paired with Stephen Doran, in his second full season as a Cup crew chief.
Experience: Eight full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 stats: 12th in final NASCAR Cup Series standings; 1 win, 4 top fives, nine top 10s 2025 championship odds (DraftKings): 120-1
Outlook: After missing the playoffs and going winless in 2023 (finished 19th), Suárez rebounded in 2024 to earn his second career Cup Series win — in thrilling fashion — and made the playoffs to finish 12th, the second-best finish of his Cup career. A good part of that improvement can be Suárez linking up last season with crew chief Matt Swiderski, who returns for his second straight season as Suárez’s man on top of the pit box in 2025.
BOLD PREDICTION: It seems there’s almost always a surprise driver every season in the NASCAR Cup Series, and van Gisbergen could be that driver in 2025. A former three-time Australian Supercars champion, he has excelled at virtually every level in his racing career, so it won’t be a surprise to see him do well in his first full Cup campaign in 2025, including potentially winning one or more races and qualifying for the playoffs.
“This is what I have planned for and I am ready,” van Gisbergen said. “I know there is a tough learning curve ahead, but the best way to learn is to go out and do it.”
